Apparatus for electrolytic reduction of metals from ores or salts.



|N0. 861,319. PATBNTED JULY 30, 1'90'7.

G. RCBERTSGDL APPARATUS POR ELECTRLYG REDUGTGN 0F METALS PROM GRES 0R SLS. APPMGATION FILED JULYao, 1906.

I l .w uw "n www E l l UNITED sTATns PATENT OFFICE.

-' CHARLES E. ROBERTSON, OF ST. LOUlS, MISSOURI.

APPARATUS .FOR ELECTROLYTIO REDUCTION OF METALS FROM ORES R S-ALTS.

Patented J uly 30, 1907.

Application filed July 30.1906. Serial No. 328,391.

To all whom it may concern: p

p Be it known that I, CHAnLss E. RoBERTso, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at St. L'ouis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Electrolytic Reduction of Metals Y. from Ores or Salts, of which Ithe following is a full, clear,

and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art' to whicli, it appertains to make and use the same, `reference being had to the accompanying drawings7 forming part of this specification, in whi ch-`- Figure lis an elevation partly in section of an apparatus embodying the features oi my invention; and Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the anode-carrying member. This invention relates to electrolytic furnaces or pots used for themanufacture of metals from ores or salts. i

One object of my invention is to provide a novel form of apparatus for the electrolytic reduction oi metals from ores or salts which enables me to produce better grades of metal than areobtained with the apparatus heretofore in use, and also at a lower cost and in a shorter period of time.

The furnaces or apparatuses which have heretofore been in use for electrically reducing metals from ores or salts have not proved entirely satisfactory for a number of reasons. One objectionable feature oi said furnaces was that a crust would form on top oi the molten material being reduced so that the gaseous products oi the reduction underneath this crust would frequently explode. Another objectionable feature of said lurnacos which often caused an inferior grade oi metal to be prol duced was that the carbon anodes which constituted par@ of the furnaces would not be consumed equally, one of the anodcs very olten conducting; more current than others and accordingly becomingl so hot that thiI mctal conductor to which it was connected would melt, thereby permitting the anode to drop into the mollen material so that an inferior grade oi metal was produced.

My improved' apparatus overcomes ull ol' said objectionable l'critiilis zuid consists cl' n vuihoiliA comprising a inoinbcr lor holdin;Y thcnnitcrini '.o he redini-d and provided with un interior lining which is :i good conductor oi electricity and a cooper-.il ing' member carnvinler electrical conductors or :inodcs which projiwi inio ilu inatcrinlih tho cathode, and menus lor imparting' more inout to one 0l' said incinocrs rclutircly lo thc other iol' agit-ating the mass ol' muti-.rial boing` reduced.

In the apparatus which l have herein shown as ont bodying thc preferred i'orm oi my invention, tho unodccarrying member is rotated .relatively to the cathode and preferably rotated continuously, but it should be understood that an intermittent rotary movement or an oscillating movement could be imparted to the anode- `carrying member without departing from the spirit ol' my invention, or the cathode could be moved relatively tothe anodes or both the anodes and cathode ro teted in opposite directions. Furthermore, while-I have shown ii a horizontal reciprocating movement was imparted.

to the movable member of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings which represent the preerred form of my invention, A designates the cathode consisting of a cylindrical receptacle or pot l provided with an inner lining 2 of carbon or some other suitable The anode` material that is an electrical conductor. carrying member B consists of a disk 3 arranged in alinement with the mouth of the cathode and a plu-- rality of carbon tubes 4 which are preferably hollow throughout their length and extend into the interior of the cathode, said disk being secured to the lower endo a sha-it 5 which is rotatably mounted in an arm 6 projecting from a standard 7. l The shaft 5 is rotated preferably by means of a motor 8 which drives a friction roll 9 that cooperates with a disk l0 secured to the upi per end of the shaft 5 but it should be understood that any suitable electrical or mechanical means 'could be employed for imparting movement to the anode-carry ing member without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The current is supplied to the cani-hon anodes by a' metal phil c l? beingl preferably interposed between thebottom oi the rcccpiacle l und thc carbon lining covering the saine, und the wire lli boing connected to said pluie, as shown ,n lfigfl. As shown in Fig. l, the i-uihodc is prowhu with u discharge lubcl. A switch can bc provided lor controlling ih'.x current und the wires run bc ini-loscd in conduits` ll). i

From thc lorcgrgoinpdosi-ripl ion thtl operation oi the ilcvicc will be obvious, thc rotary movement oi thc disk il cruising thc anodcs l to thoroughly agitato the muss ol .material in the cathodc so that the resistance oi" molecular dissociation will be doei-cased due to the luct that the rcducinplagr-nt is brought into more intimato Contact with the mutcriul being. reduced and the prcssure in Jthe cathode diminished, thus` accelerating the formation ol the products of the reduction. Furthermore, a crust cannot .iorm on top oi the mass so that the gases from thc material are permitted to escape.' lAs the anodes project down into the material being re duced and are hollow throughout their length ythey will act as conduits to permit the escape of any gaseswhiclr l may be formed Afrom said material.

Ii desired, the underneath face of the anodefcairying disk can be provided with a covering of heat-resisting material thus making it possible to maintain a very high temperature in the furnace, this being desirable owing to the fact that a high temperture weakens the heat of formation of many ores and salts.

Having thus described'the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

IA11 electrolytic furnace comprising a receptacle provided with `:1n interior lining f material which is a conductor electric current to said conductor bars and to the interior 'l lining,r of said receptacle, and means for rotating said disk continuously; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiiix my Ymgnfiture, in the presence of two witnesses, this 12th day of .l'uly 1h06.

CHARLES E. ROBERTSON.

Witnesses WELLS L. Cmmcn, Colm Immune. 

